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Validation of the Slovenian Version of Questionnaire on Sustainable Behaviour

and schools should also consider social development, and hence justice be-
tween people,equalitybetween women andmen.Theyshouldalso promote
the will and ability to work for the development of a sustainable society. It is
necessary to encourage students to become active citizens and participate
in and work for social and environmental change. This requires all school
stakeholders (teachers, students, principals, parents, local and national gov-
ernment) to participate in activities supporting development of sustainable
society. However, teachers have a major role here: they are advisors, who cre-
ate situations, clarify aims, ask questions, which enable students to prosper
in learning process.
Similarly, the significance of teacher’s role in ESD is highlighted by Chaleta
et al. (2021) – teachers educate future leaders and citizens of the world, thus
playing a crucial role in ESD. The authors believe that teacher education at
theundergraduate level isamong themost effectiveways topromote sus-
tainable development. If future teachers and educators embrace a holistic
paradigm of understanding lifelong learning and implement environmen-
tal education in their curricula using pedagogical strategies associated with
the quality of ESD, we can expect future generations to be capable of shap-
ing a world oriented towards sustainability (United Nations, 2015). Chaleta et
al. (2021) confirm this and add that universities also face various challenges
and emphasize that, in addition to contributing to knowledge and innova-
tive solutions, they play an important role in raising awareness among future
generations.
Teachers and other educators are powerful change agents who can de-
liver the educational response needed to achieve the sustainable devel-
opment goals. Their knowledge and competences are essential for restruc-
turing educational processes and educational institutions towards sustain-
ability (UNESCO, 2014). Therefore, teacher education (at universities or other
teacher training institutions) must meet the challenge by reorienting itself
towards ESD, as the support of teachers has been a key condition to the
successful adoption and implementation of ESD. Pre-service and in-service
trainings must empower teachers also with sustainability competences (UN-
ESCO, 2014, 2017). According to Watkins (2012) and Baráth (2013) the con-
cept of competences encompasses three important areas of capabilities (at-
titudes, knowledge and skills) and it gives a comprehensive framework to the
competence-basedapproach teachereducation.Within such understanding
‘certain attitudes and beliefs demands knowledge or level of understanding
and then skills in order to implement this knowledge in a practical situation’
(Watkins, 2012, p. 11). In addition, in the has been determined (Rose & Meyer,

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